Cap for an aerosol can or a spray can

ABSTRACT

For the acoustic sealing of a spray cap, a cap  7  having a push button  6  is provided with a seal  49  between the push button  6  and the cap  7  in order to realize an acoustic sealing  49  of the cap  7.  The push button  6  is here integrally constructed together with a spray channel  10  in order cheaply to produce an appropriate sound pattern.

The invention relates to a cap for a container, especially an aerosol can or a spray can, having a push button for manual actuation and for the delivery of the product present in the container, e.g. hair spray, from a product discharge opening in the cap.

From WO 01/96210, it is known to seal such a cap in order to obtain an agreeable spraying noise during discharge of a product. Here, the hinge-mounted push button acts via a separate angled-off spray channel against a stem (product discharge tube) of the container in order to deflect the stem through manual actuation of the push button and in order thereby to open a valve present in the container, whereby the product contained in the container escapes through the stem, the spray channel and a product discharge opening provided on the cap. A seal in the form of two sealing lips between the push button and the cap ensures an acoustic sealing of the cap.

From EP 0669268 A1, a pivotable push button without a fixed joint is known, which is configured in one piece together with the cap and which has a circumferential fold as the seal between the cap and the push button. Upon actuation, the fold is steadily stretched on one side, while on the opposite side it is compressed.

The known cap of the type stated in the introduction has the drawback that it does not utilize the push button in optimal form as a resonance body.

The object of the invention is to eliminate this drawback.

The object is achieved by the fact that the hinge-mountable push button is integrally constructed together with the spray channel.

The proposed cap has the advantage that a spray channel can be manufactured integrally together with the push button and therefore cost-effectively. This component can then be inserted into a traditional cap. The spray channel, which is set vibrating as the product is discharged, can transmit the vibrations directly to the push button. This gives rise to resonances, which produce an agreeable spray-out noise.

The manufacture of the entire spray cap becomes still more favorable if; in addition, a nozzle is integrally configured together with the spray channel and the push button (claim 2).

The proposed one-piece constructions can be made by means of an injection molding process. Such a part can be easily inserted into a cap if the push button is articulately connected by a plug connection to the inner side of the cap (claim 3).

The seal can be fitted to the outer rim of the push button and likewise to a circumferential, upper rim of the cap. In an advantageous embodiment (claim 4), the push button is round, e.g. oval or circular, and runs in a ring around the push button. In this embodiment, the actuation force is relatively uniform if the seal is formed from a sealing lip on the rim of the cap and a further sealing lip on the rim of the push button (claim 5).

The sealing of the push button with respect to the cap is optimized and is realized with minimal manufacturing costs if the height of the sealing lip of the cap is ever greater, the farther removed is the corresponding region of the sealing lip (8) from the joint (claim 6). In this case, a secure seal is still obtained even when the push button is fully pressed.

The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to an illustrative embodiment, in which:

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a cap having a round push button, provided with a circumferential seal, for mounting on an aerosol can;

FIG. 2 shows in a vertical section the cap of FIG. 1, mounted on a container, with non-actuated push button;

FIG. 3 shows in a vertical section a detail X, which shows the seal, constructed in the form of sealing lips, between the cap and the push button of the subject of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows in a vertical section the cap of FIG. 2, yet with the push button pressed;

FIG. 5 shows in a vertical section a detail Y of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows in a vertical section the articulate attachment of the push button to the cap, and

FIG. 7 shows in a view from above the subject of FIG. 1.

In a spray cap having a cap 7, a push button 6 serves to actuate a valve (not shown) of a container 1, which is constructed as an aerosol can and contains hair spray. The push button 6, which is pivotable about a joint 5, is designed to act via an angled-off spray channel 10 against a stem 11 of the container 1, in order to deflect the stem 11 upon manual actuation of the push button 6 and in order thus to open the valve, whereby product contained in the container 1 escapes through the stem 11 and a product discharge opening 3 provided on the cap 7, passing the spray channel 10 and a nozzle 12. In this case, a seal 49 between the push button and the cap 7 acts as an acoustic seal 49 for the cap 6 in order to obtain a spraying noise agreeable to a customer. The seal 49 is formed from a sealing lip 8 on the rim of the cap 7 and a further sealing lip 9 on the rim of the push button 6. The height of the sealing lip 8 of the cap 7 is ever greater, the farther removed is the corresponding region of the sealing lip 8 from the joint 5.

The push button is round in construction and the seal 49 runs in a ring around the push button 6. It hermetically seals the area between the cap 7 and the push button 6.

The push button 6, the spray channel 10 and the nozzle 12 are integrated within a single component. This component has been clicked into the inner side of the cap 7 via a plug connection 2, which constitutes the joint 5. This variant is also suitable for spray caps in which, following their completion, a further seal 49 is due to be subsequently inserted. For the clicking in of the component, pins 4 configured on opposite sides of the push button 6 are respectively clicked into a receiving fixture 13 hollowed out in the cap 7.

-   1 container -   2 plug connection -   3 product discharge opening -   4 pin -   5 joint -   6 push button -   7 cap -   8, 9 sealing lip -   10 spray channel -   11 stem -   12 nozzle -   13 receiving fixture -   49 seal 

1. A cap (7) having a push button (6) for actuating a valve of a container (1), especially an aerosol can or spray can, the push button (6), which is pivotable about a joint (5), being designed to act via an angled-off spray channel (10) against a stem (11) of the container (1), in order to deflect the stem (11) upon manual actuation of the push button (6) and in order thus to open the valve, whereby product contained in the container (1) escapes through the stem (11) and a product discharge opening (3) provided on the cap (7), passing the spray channel (10), and a seal (49) between the push button (6) and the cap (7) being an acoustic seal (49) for the cap (6), wherein the push button (6) is integrally constructed together with the spray channel (10).
 2. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein a nozzle (12) is integrally configured together with the spray channel (10) and the push button (6).
 3. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the push button (6) is articulately connected by a plug connection (2) to the inner side of the cap (7).
 4. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the push button (6) is round, preferably circular or oval, in construction, and wherein the seal (49) runs in a ring around the push button (6).
 5. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal (49) is formed from a sealing lip (8) on the rim of the cap (7) and a further sealing lip (9) on the rim of the push button (6).
 6. The cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein the height of the sealing lip (8) of the cap (7) is ever greater, the farther removed is the corresponding region of the sealing lip (8) from the joint (5). 